In apartments and the like, space is at a premium. Attempts have been made to make certain pieces of furniture serve multiple purposes. Difficulties have arisen where tables are employed in the performance of several functions. For instance, as may be appreciated, standard height dining tables permit the serving of meals on the tabletop at a height principally dictated by the seat height of the chairs surrounding the table. However, when working in the kitchen, a housewife operates adjacent fixed work counters whose countertops are at a greater height which does not require the housewife to bend over to perform culinary functions.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a unitary piece of furniture which constitutes both a dining table with the tabletop at a lower eating position and a work counter with the top raised to a higher work level position to permit a person standing in front of the piece of furniture to comfortably work at their increased height.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved convertible work counter which is simplified, is pleasing to the eye, and one in which the tabletop takes two two bistable positions effected through gravity action and overcenter pivoting.